Tire gauge



Oct. 2, 1928.

R. V. MORSE TIRE GAUGE Filed April 12, 1926 Patented Oct. 2, 1928'.

i-UNITi-:n STATES ROBERT v. MORSE, on-rrnncA, NEW YORK. g

TIRE GAUGE.

Application medeprn 12,1926.. `Sealan). 101,479. i

idea of leaving apressure gauge perma-l nently att-ached to each tire of a carso 'that theowner couldy inspect his tire pressures at any time Without unscretving a number ofv caps and getting'dirty is notv neW-a great variety vofin'ore lor less elaborate devices having been proposed. V Y

'All theknown tire gauges lcapable ofreadfing tire pressure comprised at least three parts or groups 'of parts, in general, (1) a lcase or chamber,v (2) al1-airtight movable elementwhich y could be Aforced along by air pressure, (.3) a calibrated v element such as a spring adapted to resist the motion or bal- Y .l ance. the pressure, so as to bring the movable element to rest and ldetermine the amount of' ",diiiiculties`,rit was also necessary to provide pressure. The, `full air pressure ofthe tire remained on theapparatus duringthe de-y vtermifning operation.l f The accuracy of workmanship necessarily linvolved in vsuch ,a solution made any such apparatus too expensive to meet the particular practicalrequirements ofthe problem. One ofthe objects of this invention has been to; provide a practical means for reading 4 suchpressures operating on a different prin-v ciple. Another object was 'to provide a: gauge which Was simple, cheap, and eec-` tivevforthe purpose vfor Which it Was gin-l tended. A further object Wasto, arrange it y i "softh'a`t-itcouldbe readily adapted vtoeit-her highpressure or lv'v pressure tires, ltoV afford ease 1n manufacture,"and yvarious other objectsfas will `beconf're apparent.

f Inasmuchastheyprincipleused in measurl ing the'air pressure kin this tire gauge is somewhat novel, I will first describe it in i relation to the combination of l'physical `laws involved, andthen describe a tire gauge in itslspecialapplication.` Briefly, by Way of introduction, the method' may be described I a's ytrapping a certain volume or mass of the air Vunder. thepressure to be measured, then promptly.y allowingthis air to expand to 'Y to fleakl appreciably) and then measuring the increase in volume, Which Will be a measure orlndication of the original pressure. Take, for example, a free and frlctlonless piston s l' in a cylinder, the piston being locked'against motion untila knoyvnv volume of a'ir under the pressure has been placed behind it, and

thenf Vthe'piston released andV shotV forward against atmospheric pressure on the other simple illustration, Whileserving to intro-- 'eti Y Y i duce 'the metho,d,. does not take `into account the forces asthey actually exist', forexample, any piston-has friction, particularlyfif it fits close enough to be, airtight. i Iherev isalso the inertia eect or momentum vofthe Vpiston" once it has begun to move,lwh1ch tendsito ycarryitV past the position of equ i- 7librium, aftervvhich friction `Will generally hold.' it from-oscillating or returning to the proper point. The consideration of the problem of the free vand vfrictionlessv piston doesnot therefore of itselffa'iford a solution.

Iii-addition to the friction andmomentum some 'rneansfoiI relievingv the air -pressure and alsojmeans hadV to be provided to cut off. the air at theV desired pointl inlorder t'c '.:insure tha'tfcorrectv given Vplume Ivvasbeing expanded.,k Above. all, "the prime requisite f Y Was 1a reductioninthenumber of parts as 4no solution whichv involved added expanse or complexity could be of any'practical value for this 'particular problem.

Referring ncrv j to' the drawings which i n yunder the piston so that thepis'to'n couldbe y returned toits initial 1 position when desired;

show, bY Wavf' illustration typical examples 'of my invention,`. Fig',` 1 .isf a vieyv in cross-section. showing oneform of tire pres- Y sure gauge, fand"y Fig.

2 isa-similar' view of another modification.v Their structure and"- be( described in more" detail( provided with a threaded portion Qby which grip for thehand in 'screwingon or off.

gasket "may be provided to j make aV tight,v

joint" between thev 'cap 1 and thevalve `stem 3, thoughV if ,thelthreads Q v of the l capiV are l principles 'on/vv'liich"theyffoperateswill now Referring noWto Fig. f1, tulieaiCdPil f1 4.

10c` it can.befattachedgto'the' tire yvalve s tem.-v` TheeXteriorof 'thecap 1 may 'be knur1edor have flat sides Yif desired-to give a goodI los Wellcut and agood fit agasket unnecessary; v .'Inthe modiicationshovvn inFig. 1, y

'the lcap 1 comprises the member of lthe device. Within the cap 17is cylinder' or :hamlcerf @9135130115 secured to a piston. rod 6, 4which extends up aiuole V7 in thetapV of the cap l, and issuiciently long so that it will proi ject beyond the cap when the lowerjend is 1n Contact with the valve pin 8 of the `ordie nary tire valve in the tire valve stem 3. The lower end 9 of the piston rod 6 or 'some equivalent projection extends below the iston and it is the length of this pro]ec ntion 9 which largely determines the amount or volume of thehigh pressure air whichr is trapped tobe measured, as will be described. The piston 5 is relatively small in diameter,

vgenemny smaller thanvaie: diameter of the valve stem 3, and is preferably screwed on twliepiston rod 6, the'lower-end 9 of which l 'isthreadedfor some distance in order toal- 'Iocations in themanufacturing-'the vrejec- `tion of the portionf) being in genera small high pressure tires and lar' er for low Vrassure, or balloon tires. The plston 5 lmay e of any suitable material, and in the form f 'f villustrated Vit consists of `a. leather Vplunger I2 held between two hexagonal nuts 13 and 14.V The'upper portion of the piston rod 6 which extends through the hole 7 in the cap isslnooth so as to slide freely andrmay be vprovided withmarkingsor bands 15 indicating (pressures or ranges of ressures.

" The t e manufact-ure of thegauge, since the frictijonis necessary to overcome or substantially halancethe momentum of the piston when inv motion under an impulse of ai`r,'and the friction-is also required vto hold orretain the friction' the piston will-overtravel VVand then 'dropr back sofas not to permit a readingand willalsoinall probability; let the air. leak" by toofast. If the piston'is'to'o tight,

Qrthereis too' much friction, the gauge will 'l notl operate'ewith yawsuflieient degreeof aecuraoy, ,if there is no air leakagefat all 'the'piston rod 'fcannot be pushed down to its initialposition for a second reading, or e leaveitin a rotected position asis often desired( In'or er to ascertain theamount Ygauge to the lips and blow, first holding the r-$13011 ,rod-61 fromv moving, to see ifthe air ksbythefpistonapprec1ably, and then re- A j 'leasing the piston/rod to see iflung pressure i. will suliice to overcome the friction of the ,19W the piston toghe adjusted to various A egree of friction of the plston 5 in the v cylinder or capl is an important factor in.

istn 5 androd 6 in their final position so` of friction a' convenient test is to place the' lunger p Assuming' we have the completed unit, with a piston having the proper degree of friction and sufficiently air tight toprevent any appreciable loss of air for a, second or two, yet having enough yleakage so that if the piston is pressed down a few times gently the air beneath will leak out in a few'seconds and permitlthe indicator to assume its zero position,-then the operation is asfollows: The projecting pistonY rod' 6 is. first pushed'fdown ,withthey finger, causing the lower end 9 to pushrvdoivn the valve pin 8rv in the valve stem 3, thusy opening the tire valve, and permittingtlie Vair under tire pressure to fill the space belownthe piston 5. This s ace remains so filled afs long as the valve 1sthus held down-any leakage past wsV the piston -5 or through the'thread 2 being replaced 'by more air from the tire. When the linger is lifted oil the end of thel rod f6, the piston 5 is immediately `rimpelled upward, and as it does so the lowerjend v9 is lifted off the valve pin 8" permitting the tire valve to close and cut oifrthe/ air. At the instant thisl cut-off occurs a certain volume of air at full tire pressure. is trapped beneath thepiston 5. Thep'iston is at this instant moving in its outwardtravel so that even if the apparatusfisnot strictly air tight there is little time'for leakage and no great loss ofair before the piston has completed its traveland made the indication ofvpressure.

The piston Vwill continue to travel until the air behind it has expanded to substantially the same pressure astheatmosphere.' Owing to the friction `of the pistonr, the'ifodG remainsV where it is pushed, and fromzthe e amount it' projects the Yowner'can judge the approximate amount of pressure in his tire.

If he wants to repeatthe test, he pushes the rode gently down agaln, permit-ting the air` Awhich it normally'does'by leakage 1n afew valve pin' 8 an added resistance can be felt, and the `device is now ready'flora new opera? tion, which is obtained by pressing the' rodl 6 and then releasing it'asfdescribed. In re,-

underneath the lpiston 5y to graduali escape, e

leasing the rod 6 it should not be snappefdor bounced, as then the force of theV sring within the tireV valve is Vlikely to -a d an extraY impetus giving an excessive reading.

If, however, -theffinger is removedV in' the normal way, thespeed at the instant'ofcutoff will not be great, and the indication :will

be`almost wholly dependent' on the airpressure. Y t 1 f f Y Y There is thus obtained adevice capable of reading tire pressures in a practical manner, and consisting of a smaller lnumber of operating elements than has 'heretofore been possible in an operativef'pressure indicator for this purpose. It Vwill be noted that for the cut-,off valve mechanismyl utilize the 'l K ordinary valve whichis. alreaadyfembodied in levery tire, so that it does not add in any to the cost ofthe pressure gauge, andneit'her does it have to be removedbeore the gauge can be applied. This ralso assures theow'ner that 'the vI'iewlgauge will not cause his tires toleak.-y y j ff It will be obvious to those skilledin the l art that tire gauges embodying Ythe. princi-V ples I have described-automatic cut-oli?, immediate expansion. and frictional retention, eta-'may be embodied in a large number of structural forms, vforexample, yin .the form shownin Fig. 2 the lower endoi the caprl is threaded at 2 to Screw internally,instead of externally, on the valve stem 3. FurL thermore,y the' piston or movable element 5 isfshown as vanA external cylinder, instead yof .an internal plunger, and thepin 9 correspondsto the lower or metering rod? 9 .pf the construction 'in/Fig. 1,. rThe pin 9" 1n Fig. '2 mayeither beloose or may be at?"v tached tothe element 5. In either casefthe pin 9 isloose in the holeof the element V1 in order to permit the air to flow-by it.;` A packingl 18 at the rim or base of the mo'va-r ble element 5 corresponds' to the leather vwasher12 and prevents they iminediateescape ofthe air;- Theoperationis the same as has been described-when the element 5 is pushed'down by thejfin'ger the pin 9 opens the tire valve and when the inger is re-v moved the expansion of the Acertain amount of trapped air pushes the element 5 upf ward to indicate the amount of pressure-'- the element 5 being retained in its final position by friction, until it has been read, and

being capable of being reset owing to air leakage.l i Y Y f While I have described-certain particular forms of the device by way of example or illustration, it will be understood 'that the apparatus is susceptible to various modifica- @tions and adaptations as will be apparent to adapted to be attached to a self closing valve` to render the chamber air tight, a metering element between thev movable element and the valve arranged to insure that a delinite volume of air may be trapped between the movable element and the valve when `the valve becomes closed, and means' for indi* eating the amount of travel of said movable element as a result of the expansion of the trapped air until ythe air pressures on both sides ot' the 'movable element are substantially equalize-d. i

2. In a tire pressure gauge, the combination of a` chamber adapted to be attached to a tire valve stem, a freely movable piston Within saiaiehamberl 'restrained' may ayt-frita@ andthe surrounding `air, a.pisto'n' rod eXtend-v ing outsideofl said chamber whereby 4the pis` I ton may c be'` moved. or its- 'motion observed, and a projection ,on the other sideofthe piston adaptedto open thev tire valve whenthe piston rod is pushed thereagainst, wherebya 'certain volume ofair may. betrapped be- 'Y I' neath the piston andthen vallowedfto expand to'substantia'lly atmospliericpreSSure so'v that the tir'erpressure may/be indicated the i travelof the piston.

I n a tire pressure gauge` the 'combinar tion of'a lcapfhavingv screw threads' atA olie Vendy adaptedto be attached 'to a 'ti're 'valve stem, an elongated cylindrical chambereX` '1 tending the major portionj ofthe lengthof said' cap and being smaller in diameter than the outerdiarneter ofsaid'screw threads, v and terminating in a still-smallerjholethru the other end of the cap,*a` reelyfmovable'pi'sl i i ton within said cylinder, restrainedl only yby rictionrand the surround-ing air, a'pistonwl rod litting l'ooselyin saidsmallerhole in the end of the cap and Ventendi'ng' beyond the piston adapted to `open the ytirefvalve when reap, anda projection ongthe other side oftheV u pressed the1eagainst-and to: trap a certain volumejof air beneaththev piston when 'prekleased whereby the pistonrodfmay be 'pro- "'95 jected by the expansion of suchentrapped air in various amounts beyond'the cap to in-` dicate` various degrees of tire pressure.

4. In a" tire pressure gauge, the combina? i A `100 y tion of al cap having'screw threadsat one end adapted to be attached to av tire valvefstem,

an elongated cylindrical chamber extending the major-portion of the length of said cap,

and'being smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of said' sorew'threads and terminaitlng ,in a stillsmaller hole thru the other end ofsaid cap, a freelyv movable piston within y said cylinder restrained onlyA by friction and the surrounding air, va Vpiston rod fitting y Y looselyin said smaller hole in the end-ofthe cap andextending beyond'the cap,'mark ings on said rod for reading'thefdegree of tire in' latlon, and `a} t ro]ec t1on on' the other side of" the piston adapted to open the tire `valve when pressedthereagainst and to .trap a een. vtain volume of airbeneath the piston lwhen H released, whereby the ypiston rod may be p`ro-y dicate various degrees of tire'pressure. ,Y

i 5. A'tire pressuregauge inv combinationa ljected bythe expansiony of such entrappedl airmva'rious amounts'beyo'nd the cap to in; I l

cylinder threadedv at one end for engagement to a tire valve stem, a pistonin said cylinder,

a piston rod extending up thru the other end k'of the cylinder, aprojection `on the piston adapted to open thetire valve when the pisf ton rod is pressed, the piston rod being sulii ciently long so. that it will extend above theL top of the cylinder lwhen thetire valve is'` thus opened, saidupiston being unrestrained 8O said piston being unrestrain e! leased, SD that the' travel of the. piston and i Y rod will then indicate the pressure ofthe ai. 1 I of -6. method of measuring air .pressure which consistsof tripping/a oclet of air'at the pressure to be measure in] a cylinder havin a piston which is free to move except for friction, then relesing the piston so that itmay propelled. bythe saidV .air'expanding down toward tmospheric pressure. until 1I' stoppedfghy `frietio,wherebythe amount-of travel of the pistonfunder the impulse gives an ncation of theair pressure.. f

combination a, cylinder threaded atrone end Y il# :for engagement to .a tirel valve stem, apiston u1. eylinden'a piston-rod. extendingvcup thru theother end of said cylinder and hav` ingu screw thread at the one end, said screw thl'exvded endI projecting beyond the'piston i f M towardthe tire valvewhereby the tire valve may hev opened when/the y piston fred pressed, the piston being screwed uponsaid threaded end so thetthe volume of ythe be adjusted,

` pocket of air' beneath itfm in said cylintire pressure gauge comprising vin p der except by friction, whereby it may be` Y propelled in seid. cylinderby a pocket ofair VWhen*therodfhas` been pressed down thereagainst to open the valve vand'fthei'i'released so that'the travel ofthe'piston and rod will then indicate the pressure of the' air.v j

8. tire pressure gauge comprising in combination aV cylinder threaded at onefend `for 'enga-gement to ak tireval've stern, t piston in seid cylinder, :i piston vrod having'vmarkmgs for indicating pressure,` seid rod extending'up thru the other end of said'cyhnder and having, a screw threadV at ',oi'iefend,Y

said screw threaded y end fproj efctiirig; beyond the piston toward `the tire val ve whereby the tire valve may be ,opened when the' piston rodis pressed, the piston being screwed upon Y Y said threaded endV ,so that the'volume of the ocket ofI air beneathy itniaybe aldju'sted,k sai :piston beingunrest'ralnedin said cylinder except by friction, whereby it maybe propelled in said cylinder by '2t pocketof tir when the'` rod has been pressedhdown there# against to open the.,valve and' then released so gthatthe travel ofthe piston and rod will t then indicate the pressure of theair.

Iny Witness whereof I have hereunto setmy hand this 31st dey ofMzrrcln 192,6'. Y

`Roerili'fr MORSE. 

